Recalling Mother by Checkpoint Theatre (Singapore)

OzAsia Festival, Space Theatre until Saturday, September 23

Review by Honey B

Mother and daughter relationships are fairly similar the world over.Playwrights and performers Claire Wong and Noorlinah Mohamed show this beautifully through their heartfelt theatre piece, Recalling Mother.The show was created through the friend’s catch-ups and conversations about their respective mothers – Noor’s is a much quieter lady and Claire’s mother is more outgoing.Both ageing mums still speak in what the actors deem a “mother tongue’’ which is their own way of uniquely phrasing what they mean, which makes Wong and Mohamed mum interpreters.The two mothers have lived extremely interesting lives and have impacted on their English-speaking daughters lives in many beautiful, poignant and humorous ways.The audience chuckled, cried and emphasized as they could see their own relationships mirrored in the stories from Wong’s mum taking the wrong pills to Mohamed being her mum’s shadow and recorder of recipes.There was also the inevitable gulf between mothers and daughters and the bridging of that through eventually being able to see through their mother’s eyes and experiences and also Mohamed has had the chance to reconnect with her mother through her dementia diagnosis.This play was originally written in 2006 and has gone through a few metamorphosis, but at the end it’s about relationships, love and understanding. It’s honest storytelling.Go and hug your mum today.